Memoir probe report: Task force, govt to file application to strike out Tommy Thomas suit

KUALA LUMPUR: A special task force and the government will file an application to strike out the lawsuit brought by former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas over the investigation on the contents of his memoir, 'My Story: Justice In the Wilderness'.

Thomas had filed an originating summons last month and named Datuk Seri Fong Joo Chung, the chairman of the task force that investigated the contents of the book, and eight others as defendants.

Besides Fong, the other defendants are task force members are Datuk Seri Panglima Hashim Paijan, Datuk Dr Junaidah Kamaruddin, Datuk Jagjit Singh Bant Singh, Datuk Shaharudin Ali, K. Balaguru, Farah Adura Hamidi, Mohd Najib Surip and the Government of Malaysia.

When contacted, Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, who is representing the defendants, said the application will be filed before Dec 15.

"It will be filed on the grounds that the plaintiff's statement of claim disclosed no reasonable cause, was frivolous and is also an abuse of the court process," he said.

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Thomas, Lai Wei Shiung said during case management today, Justice Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh fixed Jan 12 for further case management proceedings.

Thomas, who was AG between June 2018 and February 2020, is seeking a declaration that the purported report "Laporan Pasukan Petugas Khas - Siasatan Ke Atas Dakwaan-Dakwaan Dalam Buku Bertajuk My Story: Justice in the Wilderness", is an illegal document and a violation of the law.

He claimed that the publication of the report violates Sections 499 and 500 of the Penal Code and/or Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Thomas also seeks a declaration that the publication of the said report by the government violates his right to reputation, which he said is protected by Articles 5(1) and/or 13(1) of the Federal Constitution.

The memoir, published in January last year, caused a public uproar resulting in the Cabinet setting up a special task force as a fact-finding body to undertake an in-depth review and analysis of the book.

On Oct 13, the government declassified the task force's report, which among others, recommended that Thomas be investigated for various possible offences.

-- BERNAMA